Rail-joint.



B. WADSACK.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1911.

1,007,257, Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

r I Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST WADSAGK, OF HUTOI-IINSON, KANSAS.

RAIL-JOINT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST WVADsAcK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hutchinson, in the county of Reno and State of Kansas, have invented a .new and useful Rail-Joint, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway joints.

The invention has for its object primarily to obviate clicking or hammering at the rail meeting ends or joints as commonly or generally experienced in prevalent railroads.

A further object is to effect joining the rail-sections or members to readily allow of drainage and escape of dirt or extraneous matter.

A still further object is to unite or tie the rail-sections so that they will be effectively held against possible casual displacement.

A still further object is to carry out the aforesaid ends in a simple, expeditious and effective manner.

The invention consists of certain instrumentalities and features substantially as hereinafter fully disclosed and defined by the claims.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention wherein various changes and modifications as relates to the details of construction and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 represents bracketed disassembled plan views of the two main members of the railway joint. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line XX of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective of the jointmember connecting key.

In carrying out my invention, I suitably conform the rail-sections or members 1 and 2 at their meeting or joint-forming edges or points so as to overlap each other, as at 3, the meeting surfaces being preferably produced, as disclosed by Figs. 1 and 2, along extended curvilinear lines, the top meeting edge between the rail-sections and the bottom meeting edges thereof thus breaking joints. The joint-forming members or sections 1 and 2 are adapted to have aninterlocking connection or action therebetween the member 1 having an upwardly opening pocket or seat 4 therein and, at one end of said pocket or seat 4, an upward-extension Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 29, 1911.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

Serial No. 630,067.

or stud 5, and the member 2 having a downwardly opening pocket or socket 6 and. at one end of said socket or pocket a downwardly extending stud 7 these pockets and studs being arranged for mutual engagement as clearly disclosed. The studs or extensions 5 and 7 of the respective members 1 and 2 are adapted to have the requisite movement in the pockets of said members for the usual expansion and contraction between the parts resulting from the usual physical laws of heat and cold, as well understood. v

A key, or tying member 8, of preferably T-outline, is insert-ible into the joint-forming members or sections 1 and 2 so that its stemportion passes downwardly into the pocket 4:

of one member or section, as 1, and its upper or horizontal portion is received into a recess or depression 9-formed partly in the upper surface of each of the members 1 and 2 as clearly disclosed by Fig. 2 whereby it is apparent that a retaining or tying action is thus effected between'opposed ends of said members. The upper or horizontal portion of the tying or key member 8 is sufficiently depressed or sunk into the upper surfaces of the rail sections or members 1 and 2 as to lie almost wholly within the rail sections, the upper surface of said port-ion of said key or tying member, however, being slightly above the corresponding surfaces of said members or rail-sections at the joint, in order to remove or isolate the peripheries or faces of the car-wheels from contact or engagement with the rail-sections or members at that point thus preventing the clicking or hammering and accordingly otherwise premature wearing act-ion of the rail-sectlons at such point by the action of said car- .wheels, as will be readily appreciated.

The key or tying member 8 preferably of malleable metal. is bifurcated at its lower end, the branches or terminals 8 thus formed thereon, being adapted to be forced or deflected laterally through opposite apertures 10 in the web of the rail section or parent especially from Fig. a, the key finally assun'iing the outline disclosed particularly by l ig.

The lateral base-portion of one of the railsections or members has formed therewith, endwise projecting lugs or extensions 12 which are adapted to overlie or receive thereunder the corresponding adjacent or abut ting portions of the opposed rail-section or member 2, whereby said rail-sections or members will be sustained solidly in position at this point or the joint, against sagging or sinking in soft road-beds.

hrough the bottom of the pocket *1 of the rail-section or member 1 is suitably pro vided a longitudinal slit 13, with one end terminating in an enlargement or orifice 1i, for suitably draining water and dirt, or foreign material, therethrough from the interior of the rail-sections or members, which may enter the same at the joint, as will be readily appreciated. Also for the same purpose, the lateral openings in the railmember receiving the outwardly deflected branches of the key or tying member 8 may be utilized, said openings being extended in width for the water to pass out laterally of said branches.

It is clearly evident from the foregoing description and accompanying illustration or drawing, that the advantages and benefits of my inrention have been made fully apparent, it only being necessary, however, to emphasize the fact that it is extremely simple in construction, embracing but few parts, is effective for its purpose, and may be readily adopted in any of the prevalentrailroad systems with the minimum changes.

hat is claimed is 1. A device of the character described, including rail-sections having an interlocking connection therebetween, also recesses in their upper surfaces at the ends, one of said sections having an upraised portion therein in vertical alinement with said recesses, and a key or tying member insertible into said recesses and having its stem portion bifurcated, with the branches, thus resulting, adapted to be flared or deflected laterally through openings in a rail section, by engagement with said upraised rail-section portion.

2. A device of the character described, including rail-sections having an interlocking connection also recesses in their upper surfaces, and a key insertible into said railsections from the upper surface thereof, vertically thereinto, said key having its stempcrtion bifurcated, the resulting branches thereof being adapted to be deflected laterally through a rail section, and clenched in effective position.

3. A device of the character described, including rail-sections having pockets therein, each pocket having an end stud adapted for mutual engagement and a key insertible into a rail-section from its upper surface and vertically thereinto, said key having its stem-portion bifurcated, the resulting branches thereof being deflected laterally through openings in said railsection.

f. A device of the character described, including rail-sections having pockets therein, each pocket having an end-stud for mutual engagement, one pocket having its bottom provided with an upraised stud, and a key having its stem-portion bifurcated, the resulting branches thereof being deflected laterally through openings in a rail-section by the engagement of said lateral branches With said upraised stud.

5. A device of the character described, including rail sections having interlocking connections, also recesses in their upper surfaces, and a key insertible into said railsections and having its stem-portion bifurcated, the resulting branches thereof being deflected laterally through a rail-section, said rail-section having laterally extended openings therethrough to serve for draining purposes.

(3. A device of the character described, including rail-sections having pockets therein, each pocket having an end stud for mutual engagement, one pocket having its bottom provided with an upraised stud and a key having its stem-portion bifurcated, the resulting branches thereof being deflected laterally through openings in a rail-section by the engagement of said lateral branches with said upraised stud, said key having its upper tread-forming surface slightly raised above the corresponding surfaces of the railsections, at the joint.

in testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, l have hereto affixed by signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST WADSACK.

ll itnesses W. F. Ramsay, C. E. GHORMLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

